This is a list of athletes that played on teams to visit East Burke whether to play the Cavaliers or be in a basketball regional game or maybe something else that have later on made themselves quite famous on TV or played at a Division One School

AC Reynolds Rockets

Luke Combs (football, country music star)

Chase Rice (football, country music star)

AL Brown Wonders

Ethan Horton (1979 football playoff, UNC, NFL)

Ashbrook Green Wave

James Worthy (boys basketball, UNC, NBA champion with Lakers)

Asheville Cougars

Buzz Peterson (boys basketball, UNC, college basketball coach 1996-2014, current Charlotte Hornets executive)

Crezdon Butler (2005 football, Clemson)

Rashanda McCants (girls basketball, UNC, WNBA)

Johnny White (2005 football, UNC)

Avery County Vikings

John Mark Bentley (wrestling, 4x state champion, UNC 2001 ACC wrestler of year, current App State wrestling coach)

Bandys Trojans

Hunter Harvey (baseball, drafted by Baltimore Orioles, current Washington Nationals pitcher)

Central Cabarrus Vikings

Ish Smith (boys basketball, Wake Forest, current NBA player)

Chapel Hill Tigers

Ranzino Smith (boys basketball, UNC)

Freedom Patriots

Leon Johnson (football, UNC, NFL running back)

Danny Johnson (boys basketball, Clemson, College of Charleston)

Natasha Davis (girls basketball, UNC)

Kerri Gardin (girls basketball, Virginia Tech, WNBA)

Jordan Hemby (football, UNC, NFL)

Ali Ford (girls basketball, Elon)

BJ Emmons (football, University of Alabama, Florida Atlantic, NFL, USFL)

Fletcher Abee (boys basketball, The Citadel, UNC-Asheville)

Greensboro Page Pirates

Danny Manning (boys basketball, Kansas, drafted no 1 in 1988 NBA draft by LA Clippers, former Wake Forest head coach)

Hickory Red Tornadoes

Al Young (football/boys basketball, Virginia Tech basketball)

Chris Washburn (boys basketball, NC State, NBA)

Ryan Succop (football/boys soccer, University of South Carolina, Mr. Irrelevant in 2009 NFL draft, winning Super Bowl kicker with Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

Hunter Huss Huskies

Sleepy Floyd (boys basketball, Georgetown, NBA)

Kris Lang (boys basketball, UNC)

Independence Patriots

Mark Maye (boys basketball, UNC football, father of UNC’s Luke & Drake Maye)

Maiden Blue Devils

Matt Johnson (football, first quarterback at UNC-Charlotte)

McDowell Titans

Dwayne Ledford (football, East Carolina, NFL OL 1999-2006, current Atlanta Falcons OL coach)

Greg Holland (baseball, winning World Series pitcher with Kansas City Royals)

Orlando Melendez (boys basketball, UNC, Harlem Globetrotters)

Jenis Grindstaff (boys basketball, University of Tennessee)

Petey Hausley (boys basketball, Appalachian State)

Sara McMann (wrestling, 2004 Olympic silver medalist, 2022 National Wrestling HOF inductee, UFC)

Newton-Conover Red Devils

Julius Powell (boys basketball, Clemson)

North Meck Vikings

Andrea Stinson (girls basketball, NC State, WNBA)

Providence Panthers

Ashley Fliehr (volleyball, a.k.a. WWE’s Charlotte Flair)

Shelby Golden Lions

Gabe Devoe (boys basketball, Clemson)

Dax Hollifield (football, Virginia Tech)

South Caldwell Spartans

Madison Bumgarner (baseball, winning World Series pitcher with San Francisco Giants)

South Meck Sabres

Spencer Shuey (2008 football playoff, Clemson)

Watauga Pioneers

Eric Breitenstein (football 05-08, Wofford, College Football HOF finalist)

2017 ACC Barnstorming Tour

National Champions UNC: Kennedy Meeks, Nate Britt, Isaiah Hicks

Duke: Nolan Smith, Matt Jones, Amile Jefferson